Demountable u-link chain for barn cleaners



Aug. 18, 1953 N. CORDIS 2,648,989

DEMOUNTABLE U LINK CHAIN FOR BARN CLEANERS Filed March 13, 1950 Fig. 7Fig. 8

INVENTOR:

NAT CORDI S I 'mragflam Fig. IQ ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 18, 1953 UNITEDSTATES .11

TENT OFFICE DEMOUNTABLE U-LINK CHAIN FOR BARN CLEANERS Claims.

This invention relates to drive and conveyor chainsv and moreparticularly to drive and. con-- veyor chains of the type which includeslinks formed of alternate punched plates connected by a U-shaped.member, some of the plates also serving to support transverse scrapersor paddles. More specifically, my invention relates to demountableconveyor chain assemblies adapted for use in barn cleaners.

The barn cleaner of the kind to which my invention relates includes atrough or gutter in the floor of the barn adjacent the animal stalls.This gutter or trough usually passes stalls on opposite sides of a barnfloor and the cleaner travels in a loop. At some point along the travelof the cleaner, a pit is provided for the accumulation of refusedeposited therein as the chain and paddles pass over the pit. Anelevator carries the refuse from the pit to a distributing point orvehicle and this elevator may also use the chain and paddle assemblyproduced in accordance with this invention. Chains for conveying thepaddles through the troughs must be strong, rugged, and demountable topermit modification or repair of the assembly by unskilled labor on thesite.

A desirable feature in chains of the above type is the provision ofdemountable fabricated chain links which are constructed so as to permitthe separation of the chain at any point for lengthening or shorteningthe chain. In chains having this feature, however, it is necessary toprovide means for locking the parts to prevent unintended separationduring the normal use of the chain.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a chainconstruction which is demountable. Another object is to provide apositive means for locking the demountable chain elements. A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a demountable chain assembly incombinaticn with paddles or scrapers which is particularly adapted foruse in barn cleaners. An additional object is to provide a method andmeans for fabricating and modifying a conveyor chain assembly whichavoids any on-the-job welding and can be installed by unskilled labor.These and other objects of my invention will become apparent as thedescription thereof proceeds.

In general I attain the objects of my invention by providing ademountable coupling member for joining alternate chain links comprisinga U- shaped body adapted to engage adjacent chain links formed frompunched plates. A side bar is provided with apertures for accommodatingthe legs of the U-shaped member. To retain the side bar in the assembledrelation, recesses near the terminal ends of the legs are engaged by aside bar retainer such as, for example, spring rings. A bracket forsupporting a paddle or scraper is carried by some of the links and iswelded or otherwise fixed to or is integral with a plate link.

To illustrate my invention I have shown embodiments thereof in thedrawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a portion of a length of my chain;

Figure 2'is a top side View of 'a portion of a length of my chain,partly in section, the section being taken along the line 2-2 of Figure1;

' Figure 3 is a plan View showing the side bar which is assembled inFigures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a top view of one of the plate links which are alternatedwith the U-shaped member of Figure 5;

Figure 5 is a side view which, taken with Figure 6, shows the details ofthe U-shaped member;

Figure 6 is a detailed View partly in section taken along the line 'e,6of Figure 2;

Figures '7 and 8 illustrate details of a side bar retainer which is inthe form of spring rings; and

Figures 9 and 10 are plan and side views, re spectively, of one type ofsprocket which is adapted for use with my novel chain construction.

Referring to the drawings wherein correspond ing elements in the variousfigures are designated by similar reference characters, the chainconstruction includes alternate plate links H and U-shaped members it)having a side bar I2 and a retainer means 23.

The retainer 53 may, for example, be a spring ring made of brass orother'malleable and noncorrosive metal so that they can be readilyremoved in the event that it is desired to subtract or add links to theinstalled chain conveyor. Ordinarily, the U-shaped members It will beformed from round steel stock and the side bars l2, as well as the platelinks H, can be forged or punched from metal plates of the desiredweight. In any event, it is not necessary to use any welding either atthe site or in prefabrication of unitary lengths of the chain,

The side bar l2, which is illustrated in Figure 3, has apertures I!which are non-circular, that is, the portion Ila is not cut out and thisportion abuts the shoulder is on the U-member l8. To fabricate the chainthe legs of the U-shaped member H) are passed through alternate platelinks 1 I. The side bar :2 isthen placed over the legs of the Ushapedmember iii and the spring rings it are crimped into the recesses M.

A side bar retainer 83 such as that shown in Figures 7 and 8 and inassembled position in Figures l, 2 and 6, fits snugly within therecesses M in the legs of the U-shaped member Hi. If desired, however,the retainer I3 may be a flexible plate substantially co-extensive withthe side bar l2 and slotted adjacent its ends to engage the recesses Itin the legs. of the U-shaped link.

Figures 5 and 6 show a U-link which has been fabricated from round stockand shaped as shown.

The legs of the member it are provided with re cesses i l and shouldersI5 have been formed as by forging. That is, shoulders ii are adapted torestrict the movement of the side bar l2 downwardly toward the base ofthe U-member i0. By this means the chain assembly is jam-free and theplate links l l are free to rotate about the legs of the U-shaped member10.

When the chain of this invention is installed in a gutter it travelsalong one side thereof near the bottom and the lower edge of the paddle22 travels in contact with the floor of the gutter. Figures 1 and 2illustrate such a barn cleaner paddle or scraper 21-22 which is mountedon the chain at spaced intervals. The bracket 23 is fixed as by weldingto a plate link H and has a bolt-receiving opening 24. The paddle 2l22is provided with a slot 28 and a bolt 23. The slot 23 passes over thebracket and the bolt 23 in turn passes through the paddle Zl-ZZ and thebracket 20. A spacer element or ring may be interposed between thepaddle face 22 and the bracket 29 as shown in the drawings and asuitable locking means such as nut 21 completes the assembly. It iscontemplated, however, that other types of paddles and paddle mounts maybe used. For example, I can provide an inverted U-shaped bracket withthe base fixed to the plate link i I and mount a wooden or metal paddlewithin the bracket on a bolt or pin passed through the arms of the U.

One embodiment of a suitable drive and idler sprocket for use with mychain assembly is shown in Figures 9 and 10. The sprocket 30 is mountedso as to permit the teeth 3! to enter the opening 31a defined by theU-shaped member l5 and the side bar 12 as shown in Figure 2. The tooth3! within any given U-shaped link 10 bears against the preceding platelink II as illustrated by the arrows in Figure 2, It should be notedthat the bearing surface 32 between the teeth 3i on the sprocket 39 issubstantially fiat to accommodate the long edge of the plate link ll. Bythis construction and arrangement there is a minimum of slapping of thechain on the sprockets whether the sprocket idles or drives.

Although I have described my invention with reference to particularembodiments, this is for the purpose of illustration only and myinvention is not limited thereto. It is, therefore, contemplated thatmodifications can be made by those skilled in the art in view of thisdescription without departing from the spirit of my invention describedherein or as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A coupling link for joining adjacent chain links formed of punchedplates, comprising a generally U-shaped main body of round stock havingupstanding cylindrical legs to receive the chain links, an annulargroove of rectangular cross-section adjacent the ends of thelink-receiving legs, a shoulder on each of said legs spaced from saidgroove, a plate having noncircular holes in its opposite ends adapted toreceive the legs and to engage the shoulder on said legs, the distancebetween the shoulder and the lower edge of the groove being approximate-1y equal to the thickness of the said plate, and a plate-retaining meansadapted to enter said grooves and contact the upper surface of saidplate whereby the said plate is secured between said grooves and saidshoulders.

2. A coupling link for joining adjacent chain 4 links formed of punchedplates, comprising a generally U-shaped member of round stock having anelongated straight base and upstandin legs to receive the adjacent chainlinks, an an nular groove of rectangular cross-section adja cent theends of the link-receiving legs, a forged shoulder on each of said legsspaced from said grooves, a plate having holes in its opposite endsarranged to engage the grooved ends of the said legs, the distancebetween the shoulder and the lower edge of the grooves beingapproximately equal to the thickness of the said plate, and split springrings adapted to engage said grooves whereby the said plate is securedbetween said grooves and said shoulders.

3. A chain link comprising a shallow U-shaped body formed from roundstock and having upturned parallel legs forming the bearing surfaces ofthe link, an annular groove formed on each of said legs, a shoulderforged on each of said legs between said grooves and said bearingsurfaces, a flat side bar having non-circular holes in its opposite endsto receive said grooved ends and abut the said shoulders, and a flexiblelocking member for retaining said side bar and body in assembledarrangement, said flexible locking member being engageable with saidgrooves.

4. A sprocket chain construction including alternate fiat plates anddemountable links adapted to accommodate the teeth of a sprocket, eachsuch demountable link comprising a member of round stock having anelongated base and parallel uptur' ed pintle-like legs, the said legsbeing round and the axes of said legs extending at right angles to theaxis of the said base, an annular groove encircling each saidpintle-like leg and spaced inwardly from the end thereof to provide ahead on each leg, a removable flat side bar arranged between legs or"the same member below said grooves, side bar stop means on each legspaced below said grooves a distance which corresponds to the thicknessof said flat side bar, and a spring ring in each said groove retainingsaid side bar and alternate plates on said pintle-like legs.

5. A sprocket chain construction including alternate plates anddemountable links, each such demountable link comprising an elongatedshallow U-shaped member of round cross section having a base portion andright angular turned pintle-like legs, an annular groove of rectangularcross section about each leg near the end thereof to provide a head oneach leg, a removable flat side bar arranged below said heads andgrooves and between legs of the same U- shaped member, side bar stopmeans on each leg spaced below said groove a distance correspond ing tothe thickness of said flat side bar, and a spring ring in each saidgroove retaining said side bar on said pintle-like legs below saidheads.

NAT CORDIS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

